One Hand Clapping

One Hand Clapping

RSS/XML |

| Essays | Disclaimer | Main Page | My Bio | | Archives | Backup Site

By Donald Sensing

Why Blogads here work! and see here.

Link Reciprocity Policy

Email is considered publishable unless you request otherwise. Sorry, I cannot promise a reply.

Searchable 9/11 Comm. Report

Blogroll:

News sites:

Washington Times
Washington Post
National Review
Drudge Report
National Post
Real Clear Politics
NewsMax
New York Times
UK Times
Economist
Jerusalem Post
The Nation (Pakistan)
World Press Review
Fox News
CNN
BBC
USA Today
Omaha World Herald
News Is Free
Rocky Mtn. News
Gettys Images
Iraq Today

Opinions, Current Events and References

Opinion Journal
BlogRunner 100
The Strategy Page
Reason Online
City Journal
Lewis & Clark links
Front Page
Independent Women's Forum
Jewish World Review
Foreign Policy in Focus
Policy Review
The New Criterion
Joyner Library Links
National Interest
Middle East Media Research Institute
Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society
Sojourners Online
Brethren Revival
Saddam Hussein's Iraq
National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling
Telford Work
Unbound Bible
Good News Movement
UM Accountability
Institute for Religion and Democracy

Useful Sites:

Internet Movie Database
Mapquest
JunkScience.com
Webster Dictionary
U.S. Army Site
Defense Dept.
Iraq Net
WMD Handbook Urban Legends (Snopes)
Dan Miller
Auto Consumer Guide
CIA World Fact Book
Blogging tools
Map library
Online Speech Bank
Technorati
(My Tech. page)
Great Python Site!

Shooting Sports

Trapshooting Assn.
Nat. Skeet Shooting Assn.
Trapshooters.com
Clay-Shooting.com
NRA
Baikal
Beretta USA
Browning
Benelli USA
Charles Daly
Colt
CZ USA
EAA
H-K; FABARM USA
Fausti Stefano
Franchi USA
Kimber America
Remington
Rizzini
Ruger
Tristar
Verona
Weatherby
Winchester

Proud member of the Rocky Top Brigade!

Tenn. flag

Blogwise

Essays and columns by others of enduring interest

Coffee Links

How to roast your own coffee!

I buy from CoffeeMaria
Gillies Coffees
Bald Mountain
Front Porch Coffee
Burman Coffee
Café Maison
CCM Coffee
Coffee Bean Corral
Coffee Bean Co.
Coffee for Less
Coffee Links Page
Coffee Storehouse
Coffee, Tea, Etc.
Batian Peak
Coffee & Kitchen
Coffee Project
HealthCrafts Coffee
MollyCoffee
NM Piñon Coffee
Coffee is My Drug of Choice
Pony Espresso
Pro Coffee
7 Bridges Co-op
Story House
Sweet Maria’s
Two Loons
Kona Mountain
The Coffee Web
Zach and Dani’s

Roast profile chart

Links for me

Verizon text msg
HTML special codes
Comcast
RhymeZone
Bin Laden's Strategic Plan
Online Radio
The Big Picture
SSM essay index
See my Essays Index!
Web Enalysis
UMC Homosexuality Links Page

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

Wesley Clark - caught in a time warp?
If so, it might be one of his own making. Bill Hobbs records that Clark has - drumroll, please - actually said on the campaign trial that he thinks that time travel is possible and that it will be accomplished. And he strongly implied that as president he will allocate federal money to develop it.

Now, a small word in Clark's defense (but not a defense of time travel notions). I have seen only the news story of his remarks, have not seen a transcript. What Clark is actually quoted as saying is,

"I still believe in e=mc², but I can't believe that in all of human history, we'll never ever be able to go beyond the speed of light to reach where we want to go," said Clark. "I happen to believe that mankind can do it.

"I've argued with physicists about it, I've argued with best friends about it. I just have to believe it. It's my only faith-based initiative." Clark's comment prompted laughter and applause from the gathering.

In science fiction and the popular conception, faster-than-light (FTL) travel would result in moving back in time; hence Bill Hobbs played it that way.

But not so fast. Is there actually any hard theoretical physics behind that notion? I don't know but I suspect not. While the speed of light is a cosmic constant, it's not clear that exceeding it would result in actual time reversal.

(Actually, a close physicist friend of mine told me that once you start working the formulas for speeds of a significant fraction of C (C=speed of light) then nothing at all is either clear or simple.)

As I recall, theory holds that if an object approaches C, weird things start happening to its mass-volume ratio. At any rate, a physicist consulted for the article was Gary Melnick, "a senior astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, [who] said Clark's faith in the possibility of faster-than-light, or FTL, travel was "probably based more on his imagination than on physics."

While Clark's belief may stem from his knowledge of sophisticated military projects, there's no evidence to suggest that humans can exceed the speed of light, said Melnick. In fact, considerable evidence posits that FTL travel is impossible, he said.

"Even if Clark becomes president, I doubt it would be within his powers to repeal the powers of physics," said Melnick ...

And if he tries, we should call for an Independent Counsel! Yeah!

by Donald Sensing, 9/30/2003 10:20:46 PM. Permalink |

Feedburner RSS/XML readers online:

Home

CLICK HERE TO PLACE AN AD ON MY SITE!

DVD bestsellers

Military History and Politics:

Religion bestsellers: